The home shopping industry is undergoing a transition. As television viewership declines and online video services (OTT), mobile-centric consumption spreads, and the burden of transmission fees increases, the traditional broadcast-centric business model has reached its limits. Accordingly, the industry is intensifying its so-called "post-TV" strategy, seeking change centered around mobile live commerce and content platforms.
According to the relevant industry on the 25th, last year's TV home shopping broadcast revenue fell 3.2% year-on-year to 2.64 trillion won, marking the lowest level ever. The total transaction amount has also decreased for three consecutive years. 73.3% of broadcast revenue was spent on transmission fees for paid broadcasting platforms, increasing the burden on profitability. The share of revenue from TV channels dropped from 56.5% in 2019 to 49.1% in 2024. There is a growing need across the industry for a structural transformation of its business.
CJ Onstyle is expanding its commerce influence with entertainment-based original content utilizing celebrities and influencers. Programs like "Yoo In-na's Get It Beauty," "Ahn Jae-hyun's Let's Stay Inside for a Moment," and "Choi Hwa-jung Show" are developing differentiated strategies in the premium beauty, fashion, and living sectors based on proprietary intellectual property (IP). In the first quarter of this year, the transaction amount for mobile live commerce surged 92.4% compared to the same period last year, while total revenue during the same period was 362.3 billion won, up 4.2%.
Lotte Home Shopping is conducting live broadcasts (known as "Lava") in countries like Japan and France through its own live commerce channel, "LLive," supporting domestic consumers in purchasing and customs clearance directly. The cumulative views have surpassed 1 million. Collaborations with popular creators, mobile-only special broadcasts, and content linkages with affiliates are actively being pursued. In the first quarter of this year, revenue was 227.6 billion won, and operating profit was 12.1 billion won, marking a 22.9% increase year-on-year.
Hyundai Home Shopping is focusing on its global strategy by expanding collaborative content with French brands through its mobile-only channel "Shora." In the first quarter of this year, revenue was 268.8 billion won, a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year, but operating profit was 25.5 billion won, a 23.8% increase. The content-centered programming is seen as positively influencing profitability.
GS Shop has been leading the mobile-centric strategy since launching the industry's first mobile app in 2010. Last year, the proportion of mobile and online transactions reached 64.5%, the highest in the industry, with a total transaction amount of 2.61 trillion won.
In particular, as of the first quarter of 2025, the order amount for the mobile-only short-form content "ShortPick" increased by 40% compared to the previous quarter, and cumulative views exceeded 240 million. The monthly active users (MAU) of the app stood at approximately 4.6 million, which is 800,000 to 1 million more than competitors. However, operating profit for the first quarter of this year was 22.4 billion won, down 31.7% year-on-year. It seems to have entered a revenue adjustment phase due to digital transformation.
The industry reports that home shopping is no longer just a simple "sales broadcast" but is evolving into a content-centric distribution platform. The post-TV strategy is seen not as an option but as a survival strategy. An industry official stated, "We are currently in a transitional period where the existing broadcast-based industry is shifting into a consumer experience-centered content industry, and the long-term competitiveness will depend on which business successfully establishes itself as a content-based platform first."